How to Gain Consistency with Your Driver

We all think we feel comfortable pulling the big club out of the bag on the tee box and giving the ball a good whack…but it never seems to go in the same direction every time. Some of us have even put the driver away and resigned ourselves to long irons simply because we don’t ‘trust it’. But we must not give up so easily. The driver is an essential club for scoring, as it allows you to shorten your second shot, thus presenting you with a better scoring opportunity.

The key thing to remember is relaxation – don’t be tense or angry when swinging this club. The more relaxed your muscles are, the more control you will maintain and therefore, the longer and straighter your shots will be. Get the word “TEMPO” tattooed on your forearm if that’s what it takes to remind yourself that you do not have to be tense and swing fast (let it be said that Golficity takes no responsibility for dumb tattoos).

First, set up your body (this is known as ‘The Address’) shifting some of your weight to the back leg – a little lean to the backside doesn’t hurt if it will help you shift the weight.

Keeping your eyes and the buttons on golf shirt facing down on the ball, slowly bring the club back parallel to the ground before raising it to the set position. There should be very little weight shift at this point.

At the set position (when the hands are behind your head) keep your lower body relaxed and do not force ALL of your weight to the back foot or you will create too much movement when you begin to swing through the ball. It’s very important to maintain the same swing speed from your backswing to your through swing.

Remember to stay relaxed when coming through the ball – let that big club head do the work. Keep your eyes and shirt buttons pointed down at the ball until impact, eventually turning them toward your target as you shift your body through the ball.

As you finish, you should be up on your back leg’s tip-toe as your front foot stays “nailed” to the floor. A relaxing swing will help you finish the club over the shoulder.

Go to the driving range and hit the driver in a simple, relaxed manner. A 220 yard drive down the middle is a lot better then a 310 yard drive into someone’s kitchen.

Once again…tempo is key. Stay relaxed, swing smooth, and the ball should go straight.